Introduction[1]The “Vitruvian Man” was created by Leonardo da Vinci around the year 1487. The drawing, which is in pen and ink on paper, depicts a male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed in a circle and square. The drawing and text are sometimes called the "Canon of Proportions" or less often, "Proportions of Man".

The proportional relationship of the parts reflects a universal design. A "medical" equilibrium of elements ensures a stable structure. In the late 1480s, this theme of the artistic microcosm emerged as one of the unifying principles of da Vinci's thought. This architectural application is not the end of the matter, rather it represents the beginning of a concept, which had a literally universal application.

This image provides the perfect example of Leonardo's keen interest in proportion. In addition, this image represents a cornerstone of Leonardo's attempts to relate man to nature. Encyclopaedia Britannica online states: "Leonardo envisaged the great picture chart of the human body he had produced through his anatomical drawings and Vitruvian Man as a cosmografia del minor mondo (cosmography of the microcosm). He believed the

Concept and Techniques/Processes Used to Create the FabricsMy new, contemporary fabric design, “Renaissance Man” is my tribute to Leonardo Da Vinci’s legacy to the enrichment of Western culture. Leonardo (1452-1519) was a painter, architect, inventor, and student of all things scientific. His natural genius crossed so many disciplines that he embodied the term - the “Renaissance Man.”

Leonardo’s drawings would become an essential part of his legacy. He sketched prolifically, planning futuristic inventions, exploring human anatomy, and blocks for paintings such as “The Virgin of the Rocks” and his mural “The Last Supper”.

An interesting feature of Leonardo’s is his cursive mirror writing style - a special kind of shorthand that he invented. Perhaps the most widely seen piece of Leonardo's mirror writing is his notes on “Vitruvian Man” - his famous drawing that fits the proportions of the human body into the geometry of both a circle and a square.

Not only did Leonardo write with a special kind of shorthand that he invented himself, he also mirrored his writing, starting at the right side of the page and moving to the left. Only when he was writing something intended for other people did he write in the normal direction - left to right[2].

The purpose of his mirror writing is unknown, but one idea is that it may have kept his hands clean. People who were contemporaries of Leonardo left records that they saw him write and paint left handed. He also made sketches showing his own left hand at work. As a left-handed person, this mirrored writing style would have prevented him from smudging his ink as he wrote[2].

Knowing that not all languages are written from left to right – traditional Arabic languages are written from right to left and traditional Japanese is written from top to bottom - I also researched other writing styles that emulated Leonardo’s writing methodology and came across the ancient Indus Script, which was written from right to left. The ancient undeciphered (to this day) Indus Script combined both word signs/images and symbols much like Leonardo. An image from a collection of terracotta seals displaying the Indus Valley script was reworked into a contemporary silk screen visual.

The beautiful, individual, cursive, mirrored script is a hallmark that resides in many of Leonardo’s works and so I have concentrated on this aspect as one of the main design features in my new, unique and contemporary fabric design - “Renaissance Man”.

The design comes in two colorways - one in magenta/purple hues, the other in blue/purple hues. These colors were thoughtfully chosen to encapsulate the richly colored contemporary hues that are available in today’s world of dyes and paints.

White cotton fabrics were dyed and over dyed using time-honored hand dyeing techniques to add visual depth, pattern and contrast to the fabric background/s. The fabrics were then screen-printed with constructed images of the "Vitruvian Man” over the entire fabric lengths. Using analogous colors (in each specific colorway), additional layers of complex images were overprinted in transparent, opaque and metallic pigments until a richly hued and textured surface was created.

Still employing time-honored hand printing processes, additional writings of Leonardo’s were reworked and then screen-printed in metallic gold pigment over the complex layers to build on the visually rich and dense surface layers – adding contrast, depth and a sumptuous aesthetic to the design.

Finally, the last layer, the Indus Valley Seal script image, was overprinted in rich metallic gold pigment to create additional movement and a highly evocative visual contrast to the already sumptuous and multi-layered design - a tribute to Leonardo’s rich and enduring legacy!

The fabric and patterning in “Renaissance Man” can be designed using colors of your choice to create a truly unique and individual statement. “Renaissance Man” fabric lengths can be used for wearable art, accessories, patch work, quilts, furnishings, as framed artworks and interior design projects. Please email me at - Marie-Therese - to discuss further options.

“Renaissance Man”My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design

View of “Renaissance Man” design as fat quarters (close up). The design comes in two colorways - one in magenta/purple hues (left), the other in blue/purple hues (right).

In 2019 the Newcastle Printmakers Workshop in Newcastle, NSW, Australia will celebrate 40 years ! 40 current and past NPW printmakers have been selected to celebrate this 40 year milestone anniversary. The launch exhibition will be held at Art Systems Wickham, Newcastle, 8-17 November 2019. Marie-Therese is one of the participating printmakers contributing to this historical event.Click on the logo image to get further updates about the 40/40 exhibition concept, program and events.

Published in Studio La Primitive Arts Zine

Marie-Therese was invited by the editor of Studio La Primitive Arts Zine, Robyn Werkhoven, to be a 'Feature Artist' in the Arts Zine which features articles and interviews with national and international visual artists, poets and writers and glimpses into their world of art and their creative processes. The article, which features Marie-Therese’s art practice and career is titled, ' A Mapping of Anthropogenic Change' has been published in the May 2018 Issue 25 of the Studio La Primitive Arts Zine (the article appears on page 86). Click on the Image to get to the article.

2018 CrossXpollinatioN Exhibition - Journey's

Marie-Therese was a 'Feature Artist' at the '2018 CrossXpollinatioN' exhibition which was themed 'Journey's'. Her ArtCloth Installation 'Timelines: An Environmental Journey' was exhibited at the Colac Otway Performing Arts & Cultural Centre, Colac, Victoria from the 7th - 29th July 2018. The installation featured works employing her signature MultiSperse Dye Sublimation (MSDS) technique on synthetic fibres.Click on the image to see her installation.

About Me

I work full time as a studio artist, researcher, author, curator, speaker and tutor. I am also the Director of Art Quill Studio, The Education Division of Art Quill & Co. Pty. Ltd. at Arcadia Vale, NSW, Australia. I teach as a casual lecturer at The University of Newcastle (Australia) and I am the former co-editor of Textile Fibre Forum art magazine.

Employing my signature techniques I specialize in the area of ArtCloth, artist printmaker books and limited edition prints.

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My Most Visited Posts"When Rainforests Ruled" - ArtCloth Exhibition

My Scarves @ The Australian Craft Awards

My unique, hand dyed and printed silk rayon velvet and pashmina scarves are available for purchase. To purchase a scarf please contact - studio@artquill.com.au.Click on the image above to see my velvet ArtCloth scarves.

Welcome to Art Quill Studio

Art Quill Studio is a trademark of Art Quill & Co P/L, which is an Australian Company with no subsidiaries outside of Australia.

This blog will be dedicated to arousing world wide interest in: (a) using the medium of cloth to create a work of art; (b) promoting works on paper; (c) exploring concepts that are the basis of my current artworks; (d) offering opinions on art issues; (e) providing art resources to the public at large.